What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?
I’m the co-founder and head brewer at Strange Land Brewery in Austin, Texas. I squandered my college years by studying engineering and liberal arts and not brewing beer in my dorm. I started homebrewing while in the Air Force in Albuquerque and fell in love with all aspects of the brewing process.
What’s new at Strange Land?
We are exploring new styles, adding a second facility, and looking at statewide distribution in 2017. These are exciting times at the brewery and we are giddy to share our new brews with Austin and the rest of Texas.
What’s the best part of being a part of the craft brewing community?
I consider it a high honor to be included in the vibrant community of craft brewers, a group of highly passionate ‘makers’ focused on pushing the envelope in terms of styles and delivering high quality craft beer. For me, the best part of being in this community is maintaining centuries-old traditions and forging new ones for the next generation of brewers.
Name a favorite food and beer pairing.
My favorite food and beer pairing is freshly harvested and slow-cooked Hill Country venison barbacoa with Strange Land Bishopsgate Barleywine.
What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to your job?
Serving four years as an engineer in the United States Air Force, where I worked on a team that developed a ground-breaking missile warning satellite sensor, and then receiving a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas during the startup development phase of Strange Land Brewery. The research I performed at UT on innovative extreme energy absorption technology resulted in a patent application and numerous journal articles.
What’s your favorite beer that your brewery does not produce?
There will always be a soft spot in my heart for a Lone Star tallboy.
What’s the most memorable travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to sample the local beer?
After I separated from the Air Force, my wife, two young children and I spent two months in Sweden and Norway. Friends brought us to a local cidery in Hardangerfjord, a region of Norway known for its prized apple orchards. I was blown away by the indelible experience of drinking freshly pressed apple juice and then its masterly fermented alcoholic cousin.
What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?
I try to spend as much time as I can outside gardening, camping, hunting, and fishing. I also love fermenting other non-beer things like kefir, kombucha, and pickles.